In the last four months or so I stepped into a new pool of fighters. Three fights have been against current belt holders; another one against a multiple time belt holder; and two against the no. 1 contender for a world belt. I’ve lost all but one of these fights. It happened very quietly, not as something that I pushed or asked for, just suddenly I was fighting bigger and more skilled opponents. When fighting them at first I did not even know that some of these were of the caliber that they are and I only found out later on, after the fight. To me they were just the next opponent in line. It is pretty amazing to go into top flight opponents with absolutely zero hype or knowledge. Regardless of who it is, you just fight. I love it.

It all started when I fought Cherry Gor. Towin Gym in late October of 2012. I had heard she was a “very good” fighter but that was pretty much all I knew. I fought her at 49 kg, and it turns out she was the no. 1 contender for the WPMF Light Flyweight belt, as well as the no. 2 contender for Mini Flyweight and may still be for all I know (they don’t update their site frequently). Not an excuse, its a tactical reality that I walk around at 47 kg, and this is a theme in these fighters I’m now fighting. I would most naturally fight in a weight class sub 45 kg, 100 lbs (WPMF Pin weight). Not only are these opponents more skilled than I am in some ways (due to years of experience), they almost all outweigh me significantly enough to pose difficulties. I have to learn how to fight and defeat women both taller and heavier than myself. Being taller changes the angles and distance, being heavier makes clinching much more about technique and finesse, and less about strength, which I have plenty of. This is the big challenge standing before me.

I fought Cherry again in November. I beat her the first time in an exciting fight, then lost the 2nd fight. I then fought Tananchanok Sor. Sor. Geela Lampang at 49 kg, the current WPMF Light Flyweight champion, two weeks after Cherry (that was a close fight). 12 days later in December I fought the local Lanna Champion Sud Siam at 53 kg, and 2 weeks later I fought Nongphet Kor. Saklamphun at 54 kg, a WBC and S1 Champion (she’s amazing; probably the best opponent I’ve faced). Then 2 weeks after that it was Nong Em Tor. Vitaya at 52 kg who just won the 2014 Thailand Wushu Gold Metal, and is a multiple time Isaan Champion. This month I finally fought the only opponent of this list who is possibly in my weight class, Star Sor. Klinmee at 47 kg, the current interim WPMF and current WBC World Champion at 46 kg, and that was a tough, exciting, very close fight. Twelve days later I fought Lommanee Sor. Hirun at 48 kg, who holds the WMF 48 kg world title belt.

This is the hill I have to climb. How to beat these taller, bigger, skilled Thai fighters. I enjoy fighting bigger fighters, it improves me. But it demands that I learn skills that will allow me to apply my natural advantages, as well as “faking it” to some degree against opponents who – despite my growing number of total fights – still have years of experience over me.

Oddly enough, I don’t really care about belts. I simply never have. But I do care about beating belt holders. That is something that interests me greatly. Now I’m fighting the women I want to fight and this year my goal is to get good enough to beat them. As I see it I’ve only been fighting seriously for two years now and there is a lot of room for growth.

You can see video and written summaries of all of my fights here (with the exception of the last fight, Yokkao banned all cameras).

My Complete Fight Record is below:

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A 100 lb. (46 kg) female Muay Thai fighter. Originally I trained under Kumron Vaitayanon (Master K) and Kaensak sor. Ploenjit in New Jersey. I then moved to Thailand to train and fight full time in April of 2012, devoting myself to fighting 100 Thai fights, as well as blogging full time. Having surpassed 100, and then 200, becoming the westerner with the most fights in Thailand, in history, my new goal is to fight an impossible 471 times, the historical record for the greatest number of documented professional fights (see western boxer Len Wickwar, circa 1940), and along the way to continue documenting the Muay Thai of Thailand in the Muay Thai Library project: see patreon.com/sylviemuay